1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of vehicles having a sunroof opening formed over the passenger compartment and, in particular, the present invention is concerned with vehicles having a sunroof opening and a sliding panel to selectively open and close the opening and a retractable air deflector that is deployed above the front edge of the opening when the panel is slid to the open position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Open sunroofs commonly experience wind noise when the vehicle is moving at high speed. Sunroofs that employ a sliding panel to open and close the opening are particularly susceptible to an annoying wind noise. Air deflectors positioned along the front edge of the vehicle opening to correct the wind noise problem are known. Air deflectors that are automatically deployed when the panel is opened and automatically retracted when the panel is closed also are known. Automatically deployed air deflectors in the art are supported by arms hinged to the longitudinal sides of the opening with the arms biased toward the deployed position. Sliding of the panel toward the front of the vehicle depresses the arms to the retracted position allowing the opening to be closed. Examples of air deflectors for sunroofs having a sliding panel in the prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,156,175; 3,711,150; 3,727,973; 3,843,195; 3,853,371; 3,904,239; 3,973,478; 3,984,143; 4,067,604; 4,081,194; 4,142,759; 4,175,785; and West German Pat. No. 258135. These patents are relevant to the Applicants' invention in that they represent the closest prior art for utilizing the sliding motion of a sunroof panel to deploy and retract an air deflector.